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RATIONALE: Chemoprotective drugs, such as calcium gluconate and magnesium sulfate, may prevent neurotoxicity caused by oxaliplatin. It is not yet known which administration schedule of calcium gluconate and magnesium sulfate is more effective in preventing neurotoxicity.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying different administration schedules of calcium gluconate and magnesium sulfate and comparing how well they work in neurotoxicity in patients with colon cancer or rectal cancer receiving oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy.

Oxaliplatin-induced sensory neuropathy as repeatedly measured by the EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 sensory subscale during chemotherapy [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Secondary Outcome Measures :

Area under the curve (AUC) of EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 motor subscale and autonomic subscale [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Percentage of patients experiencing grade 2+ and grade 3+ chronic cumulative neurotoxicity (NCI CTCAE version 4.0 and oxaliplatin-specific neurotoxicity scale) during and after chemotherapy [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Time to onset of grade 2+ and grade 3+ chronic cumulative neurotoxicity and the duration of the chronic cumulative neurotoxicity during and after chemotherapy [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Cumulative oxaliplatin doses that can be administered without dose-limiting chronic neurotoxicity and the percentage of patients discontinuing oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy because of neurotoxicity [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Percentage of acute neuropathy associated with oxaliplatin as measured by daily Side Effect Questionnaire during and after oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months) [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Incidence of calcium gluconate and magnesium sulfate-induced adverse events as measured by CTCAE version 4.0 [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

AUC of patient-reported quality of life (QOL) as measured by the supplemental QOL questionnaire [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

Incidence and expression of GSTP1 or other gene polymorphism with early onset of oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity [ Time Frame: Up to 18 months ]

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Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum

Has undergone curative resection and is considered to have stage II or III disease or completely resected stage IV disease with no evidence of residual tumor